Automatic steering and control mechanism fob tractors



R. WHIPPLE. AUTOMATIC STEERING AND CONTROL MECHANISM FOR mAcrons'.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3h 192l- Reissued 00. 25, 1921.

UNITED STATES" PATENT, OFFICE.

RALPH WHIPPLE, OF DETROIT,'MICHIGAN.

Aurorm'rrc STEERING AND CONTROL MEoHANrsn: non 'rRAorons.

Specification of Reissued Letters Patent. Reissued Oct. 25, 1921.

Original No. 1,296,027, dated March 4, 1919, Serial No. 265,146, filedDecember s, 1918. Application 10: reissue filed August 31, 1921. SerialNo. 497,381.

T 0' all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RALPH 'WHIPPLE, acitizen of the United States, residin at Detroit, in the county of Wayneand tate of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Automatic Steering and Control Mechanism for Tractors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tractors and more specifically to automaticsteering and control mechanism for agricultural tractors particularlyadapted for plowing, harrowmg and the like where after the first furrowis dug the tractor is adapted to automatically move in lines parallelthereto.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple andpractical mechanism of the above general character which may beinexpensively manufactured and installed. A further object is to providea mechanism of the above general character adapted to be applied toautomobile tractors and so designed as to automatically stop the tractorshould the same for any reason leave its redetermined course.

ther objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of thisinvention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as morecompletely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they may embody the same by thenumerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by thisinvention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as apart of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters ofreference denote corresponding partsthroughout all the views, in whichFigure 1 is an elevational view with certain parts showndiagrammatically with the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fi 3 and 4 are detail views.

Re erring now to the drawing in detail, 5 denotes a frame ofsubstantially Y-shaped construction having at its head end 6 a singlepost 7 carrying a wheel 8 at its lower 9* 999 e P i i t a el is furrow:T e r ar ends'lO'ofthe frame are supported near opposite ends of an axle11 "pro'vided with a large tractor wheel 12which may travel in apreviously formed'furrow while at theopposite side is a smaller wheel 15adaptedto travel on the normal ground level. The frame carries'a plowll'o'r other soil engaging implement of any desired type and this, ofcourse, may be mov'ed up and downor its relative anglechanged-in anydesired manner. These parts are all of moref or less standardconstruction and detailed description thereof is believedto beunnecessary;

At the forward part offthe fraine 6 is mounted an engine 15 providedwith a power delivering device such as a fly wheel 16 connected in anysuitable manner with the rear axle '11 for driving the tractor wheels.'Co'ntrollin lever 1 and spark'lever 18, are mounted on a suitablesegment 20 in front of the drivers seat 21' convenient for operation.Adjacent the engine 15 is a stud or, other suitable fixed member 22 towhich oneend of a spiral spring 23 surrounding th'epost 7 is adapted tobe secured. The opposite.,,end,.of this spring is secured to a lug orpost 24 upon the member 7 and is adapted to turn ther with. This springis so tensioned as to normally hold the wheel 8 at right angles to theline of travel but by reason of a pilot roller 25 carried on a bent arm26 detachably secured to the member 7 by bolt 27 and which roller isadapted to travel against the wall of the furrow whereby the wheel 8 iskept in a line substantially parallel to the line of movement.

The member 7 is provided with a rearwardly extending lug 28 to which isconnected a flexible member such as spring 80, the opposite end of whichspring is secured at 31 to the end of a bell crank lever pivotedmechanism, consisting of a gas at 32 on the frame of the machine. Theopposite end 33 of this bell crank lever is secured by means of a ring34 and branch lines 35 to the spark and gas controls, as shown in Fig.4. It will thus be seen that the wheel 8 will be permitted to have acertain amount of lateral movement to follow the normal.

a pull t be up n the eeseeeti s to actuate the bell crank lever and todepress its rear end 33 to draw down the spark and. gas control leversto stop -position, thereby instantly and automatically shutting ofl theen 'ine. r i v y reason of this construction the tractor issubstantially automatic in its operation and after the initial furrowhas been made andthe' tractor started, it will con-j tinue to plowautomatically in lines parallel to theinitial furrow unlessbyaccidentthe tractor leaves its predetermined course under whichcircumstances the engine {is immediately shut oif, as above described.[.An'y usual form of'ma ual y opera ed stee ing de vice Ina beappliedtothe post 7 toguide the implement when no't .plowing, snchdevice being not illustrated of the present invention.

The invention is of simple and practical construction and reliable andeflicient in use and operation and is believed to accomplish amongothers all' of the objects and advantages herein set forth,

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the detailsofc'onstruc-tionand aras forming no part 'rangement of partswithoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not intendtolimit myself to the "specific form shown and described.

I claim: p '1'. In combination with a tractor provided with a source ofpower and control means therefor, steering mechanism, a pilot deviceconnected with said steering mechanism and adapted to travel in a furrowand to be held frrnniturning by contact with the wall theretherefor,

(31%, means for holding said pilot device against the furrow wall, andconnectlons .-between.;'.the steering mechanism and the power controladapted to be actuated by the steering mechanism when t-he'same isturned by said holding means as the pilot device turns from contact withthe furrow-wall.

. 2, Incombinationwith a, tractor provided with a source of. 'power andcontrol means steering mechanism comprising a Wheel-equippedpost, apilot device connect- 8d .WltllSt1ld post and adapted to travel ina'furrowand against the wall thereof, means tending to normally turnsaid Steering mechanism nd pilot device to a'position at right angles tothe tractor frame, and connections between the steering mechanism andthe power control adapted to be actuatedby :the steeringmechanism whenthe same is turned by said turning, means when the pilot device turnsfrom contact with the furrowwall.

3; In combination witha tractor provided with a source ofpower andcontrol means therefor, steering mechanism comprising a wheel-equippeclpost, a pilot .device removably connected with said post and consistingofa roller adapted to travel in a furrow and against the wall thereof, aspring normally tending to turn said steering mechanism and pilot deviceto a position at right angles to the tractor frame, and connectionsbetween the steering mechanisn 'and the power control adapted to beactuated by said steerin'g mechanism when the pilot device turns fromcontact with the furrow wall.

' In testimony whereofl affix in Si nature. RALPH W 1P LE.

